Pawns to Checkers
by Soto Aikido
Summary: "Shamelessness, utter shamelessness. Kara watched him with unwilling admiration. Shine on, you crazy diamond." Kara was just planning on gathering the metal vessels for Milacka. Why did she have to be roped up in game that would establish a new world order? And please, no more speeches, she couldn't endure any longer! OCxYet-to-be-established. (You decide!)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer; Most of the dialogue was taken from Sinbad no Bouken (That other magi concerning Sinbad's adventures), I only own my OCs - Kara and Milacka and maybe the plot after I've established Kara inside the story. (the shorty assassin is Ja'far, obviously)

"That's not fair!" She stamped her feet in childish indignation. "I was here first!" And she was! She had been! Those dungeon divers had entered way later than her! Sinbad shrugged; an excited smile still hovering over his face. "Well, we could strike a deal," he suggested. But she was already turning away and storming across the stone pathway. He gazed after her, imminently silent, as she joined the chase for the Minifor. Well, he had tried. With a smile, Sinbad return to observing the race.

Kara cursed as the damned cat escaped her grip yet again. The thing was agile and small. Kara was big and rather unwieldy. All she had was sheer power. Her speed was indeed something to scoff at. To her relief, it did not seem that her compatriots were having a better time at it. Hinahoho, the giant, was even less flexible than her, and the others were using pretty unorthodox methods that unknowingly hindered them. It was strange that Sinbad hadn't gone for the small creature yet. Maybe he was biding his time? Well, it didn't matter in any case.

One of the assassins had cornered the cat inside a log, but his comrade prevented him from catching it. That was just disloyal. Kara wouldn't have put up with that. But then, their circumstances probably differed. Kara made to chase after the cat once more, as it made it's escape from the area of the assassins, when she was stopped by Sinbad's sudden exclamation.

"Alright, I get what you mean," he said, standing perched upon one of the rock formations covering the floor. He had a habit of doing so, Kara noted. Perhaps a subconscious thing? He was grinning very smugly at them all, though his eyes stood flat, gesturing with one hand and keeping the other propped against his hip. "Time to stop playing tag. From now on, let's work together!" Is what he'd proclaimed, and eyed them all with utterly surreal confidence.

It was enough to stop everyone in their tracks, that was for sure. The sole idea was just completely outlandish, even to the few people there willing to put up with Sinbad's mercurial self. Drakon turned towards Sinbad, his expression outraged. "Don't be ridiculous, only one of can become king!" he declared, leaning aggressively forward. Hinahoho seemed of like mind. "What if someone else grabs it!"

Kara couldn't blame them. "**Like hell we'll work together**!" she put in her two cents. Sinbad tilted his chin. "But isn't that what Valefor wants us to think?" he surmised very logically. But even if something was logically presented, it still often didn't dictate the truth. Kara knew this very well indeed.

"That little Minifor is indeed fast," Sinbad continued despite the disgruntled reactions of his audience. "But it can't escape if surrounded." The little bandage covered assassin made a scoffing sound from near the log. Sinbad took the opportunity to address one of the other assassin's. "You could have caught it if you weren't stopped, right?"  
The woman stuttered, "Y-yeah." She wasn't aware of where Sinbad was going with it. Sinbad gestured confidently with his flat palm. "So if we cooperate, Minifor isn't that hard to catch," he deduced out of nowhere - probably based upon an assumption of his. "And how Valefor continues to instigate all of us so we won't join hands proves that."

Kodah was the one to speak up, scrunching his nose in distaste. "Then what do you have in mind?" he ventured. "I don't think it'll work that smoothly even if we do cooperate." He made a very good point. Kara linked her fingers underneath her chin, thoughtful. But this wasn't going to hold Sinbad back, no sire. And so, to everyone's surprise, he had the audacity to advice them once more; "And that's why I have this suggestion..."

And so the whole group of dungeon divers found themselves ordered into a close circle around the cat. Sinbad, was of course, not part of the circle, since he was the one who came up with the suggestion. It seemed that it would work; if all of them went for the cat, at the same distance, one of them would get it and nobody would complain about any fairness.

Things weren't fair though, as Kara was unfortunately aware. He wouldn't just be that eager to wasting his chance to make things fair, so Sinbad had to have a plan. She knew that it often took only one furious jump to cross the distance between the cat and his perch on the bridge linked at the side of the chamber.

Then, taking in mind the speed at which he would be falling, he could quite possibly catch the cat before they even came close. Well, maybe that was untrue. Kara had only varied her own top speed and agility into her mental calculations. So she had no chance, whatever the case. She could only make things more difficult for her fellow dungeon divers. Kara's lips thinned in a line - she only had a split second of time to make her decision. Did she go along with Sinbad's plan, and definitely lose her chance of the prize? Or did she hinder others, and possible stop Sinbad's plan from succeeding?

Maybe she should have a conversation with Sinbad. However unreasonable she was, she was certain he'd at least hear her out. There was but one problem with the plan - there were on a time limit. Kara doubted she would be able to hold a suitable conversation with Sinbad - wrangling the truth from him - before the others became impatient. Also, if she talked to Sinbad away from the others, she would probably be taken in suspicion.

With a put out sigh, she decided to stay silent. In any case, there were far more dungeons for her to dive; what was important now was to escape this dungeon, before Valefor decided they'd better all stay - by force if necessary. And that meant that someone had to grab the cat within time limit. She brushed a tangled lock of her hair over her head, and bent her knees, arms fixed at either side of her, ready to pounce. Even then, she'd best give it her all. If she hadn't taken any opportunity she could to gain the cat, Milacka would be sorely disappointed in her.

The cat made to move, and Sinbad yelled out a warning. Kara tried her best, she really did, but she couldn't keep up with the quick shorty and the long legged Hinahoho. She was actually quite pleased that she'd managed to cross more distance than the other two assassins had, though. And also Drakon, but he didn't count.

Kara would have thought that the shorty assassin would have won, but the cat wasn't beat yet. It took the only escape plot left to it; the sky. Kara's eyes grew wide with comprehension. And, before anyone else could realize, Sinbad jumped across the railing and handily caught it by it's little midriff. Sinbad was grinning incredibly broadly with childish victory. "I got it!" he cheered. It would make a pleasant sight, such innocent cheer. Except that it wasn't innocent at all. He'd played them all a fool, and he was proud of it. Kara could feel the sides of her mouth twitching upwards despite herself. Such a sight wasn't unpleasant either, however.

Sinbad was absolutely shameless, and he had no scruples against proving it beyond a shade of doubt. "I thought, if there's nowhere to run on the ground, then it'll go for the air." He patted the creature on it's back. "There, there." Then sent them all a proud look. "Perfect, no**? Just as I had expected!"** And so he proved that he'd planned on fooling them from the very beginning, and didn't even have any moral qualms about doing so. Shamelessness, utter utter scandalized shamelessness. Kara watched him with unwilling admiration. _Shine on, you crazy diamond._

Of course, the others were far more unwilling of conceding his victory and their loss. Weapons were drawn, the slide of sheer metal from leather sheaths, glittering coldly in the artificial light. Faces darkened - even Hinahoho's - especially Hinahoho's. The cat started to move it's tiny paws in consternation. He must have sensed the darkening mood take over. D'aww. She wanted to squeeze it, and pet it, and take it home for Milacka to see!  
Sinbad's face was absolutely droll, as he held the cat away from him and anything potentially clawable. "Ah, I knew it. You can't accept this?" He didn't seem overly surprised, so he'd taken their reactions into quotation. "Well, how could we?!" Kara shouted over the others complaints, "You aren't even the tiniest bit guilty about your guile, are you?" That was certainly the impression he had made on her and the others.

Drakon took his turn next, apparently riled up by Kara's participation. "What is the meaning of this?" his jaw stood stubbornly set, eyes wide with indignation. "Sinbad!" Hinahoho was only able to bring out, so utterly, utterly repulsed. And then, almost as if they'd rehearsed this, everyone but Kara cried out; "**YOU CHEATED US!"** As if that had to be said. Kara sighed to herself with the minimal shrug of her shoulders.

As the peanut gallery continued threatening Sinbad with their very presence, voice and eyes, said boy was starting to seem nervous. He'd tilted himself away of the edge of the bridge he'd perched upon, and away from them. Valefor took it's opportunity to speak before the situation could worsen beyond repair.

"Sinbad," the huge cat said, gesturing at the boy with his paw to grab his attention - not that he didn't already have it. "I understand how you think. I must say it was a brilliant idea to grab Minifor like that, in a way that would eliminate competition from the other six."  
Sinbad was listening to Valefor, that was obvious, but no bright light of comprehension dawned upon him. Perhaps he was already beyond that. Valefor continued, nevertheless, as it had to be said. "However, it was the way you did it that provoked them, because it was like cheating." His giant kitty-face turned to everyone else. "Everyone, I understand your anger," he sympathised. "However, like I said at the start - **no violence.** Killing him breaks that rule and you won't ever leave - "

He was however abruptly cut of by Hinahoho's outcry before he could come to the point. **"SO BE IT!" **the man drew a hand upon his forehead to emphasise his seriousness. The man proceeded to bow his head over his trident in silent defeat. "We have decided to take this final trial," he declared in solemn promise. And then he raised his head again in one violent motion, pointing squarely at Sinbad with his trident. "But he used our resolution as a stepping-stone and robbed this chance from us!" He sneered in absolute disgrace. "There's no way to calm our anger, before we make mincemeat out of him!"

"And what about me? I would gladly leave this place. If they break the rules, will I also end up paying for it?" Kara wondered, though her question was left unanswered in the resulting chaos of all five renegades charging Sinbad. "Die!" the shorty assassin hissed, even as it made it's way across the room and onto Sinbad's platform. The assassin immediately gained a hit on Sinbad, after which the teen hissed in an agonised breath. Sinbad wasn't even able to retaliate - the assassin immediately sprung to the platform aside of his. "Now you've gotten me serious," the assassin kindly informed them. "I should have done this from the start." "If I hadn't taken your bluff seriously, you would have already been done for!" _Such clichéd speeches._ Did the shorty assassin not even hear himself? Then again, Kara considered, he was probably the type to take actions to his words.

"Too bad," Sinbad informed the shorty through half-lidded eyes. "I can't** die here**." This seemed to affect the shorty, probably through Sinbad's strength of conviction his words carried. "Shaddup," he said instead, half-hearted. "You can't get away with this."

"No, I will live, because there's something I must do after surviving this dungeon." Sinbad had pulled himself upright, his posture simply brimming with confidence, despite the blood steadily dripping from his wound. The shorty squinted, puzzled. "What's with that confidence? I don't get it." Sinbad gestured lowly with his arm - the one not wounded. "I must admit to using you all to catch Minifor," he murmured to them all. He had no problems owning up to his own actions, no matter how corrupt they were or would be, in the future. His voice then became clipped and to the point. "But I act this way because I believe it must be done," he grinned and it was like the baring of teeth. "Therefore, I **will not**, apologise!"

Kara's tense jaw slackened in utter shock, and she leaned against the pillar holding the platforms together. So, Valefor's scolding hadn't done a thing, had it? But for him to admit this when everyone was already crying for his blood...the man had guts, that was for certain. But was that a good thing? Or would it just end in his premature death at the hands of someone he could not taunt? 'Cause admittedly, neither of them six were all that high ranked on the totem pole. Maybe he still only had to learn what kind of situations were best to hold his breathe in, and which weren't.

Sinbad also took the initiative to excuse his guile, while everyone else took the time to chew on what he'd just told them, and it's implications. "As for why? It's because the person who yearns for this power the most, is me!" He drew a hand towards himself and began to name them all personally. Well, maybe not all of them, as the assassins were grouped as one. "Drakon, Hinahoho, the assassins, although each of you have your own reasons..." He took a deep breath. "The one who seeks this power the most isn't any of you." He took another deep breath, coming to the climax of his latest speech. "**IT'S ME!" **She felt like his words were heartfelt. But even if that is what he believed, what is believed as truth and truth itself was often a different thing altogether.

A scowl had painted itself across Sinbad's youthful face, and his frame was rigged and full of powerful conviction. "What do you all want the power for?" he asked, gesturing violently to strengthen his words. "For treasures and wealth? For strength beyond imagination?" He scoffed. "To have the power of a king those kinds of wishes could be fulfilled easily." He brought his hand towards him, tightening it into a fist.

"But to use a power that offers unlimited possibilities-just for that kind of wish, is it really okay?" He shook his head, tussled curls falling down the curve of his neck. "I don't think so. If it's me, I can use this power..." He had narrowed his eyes, and they were like quick silver, hardened with perception and felt as if they were boring into her soul. Her breath hitched, and she rocked on the soles of her feet.

"To establish a country that can," his eyes grew wide in confession, "**Change the world**!" His words, the speech, his countenance; everything of it was too perfect. His intentions came across far to well. And, despite herself, Kara found herself being swept up into this man's - not teen's - radiance. He continued explaining himself. How he had found that he was too weak to make a change. How he couldn't change his country of origin. He told them of his experiences from staying at the Imuchakk clan. He told them how he'd been wondering what was wrong with his country that it fell so far from his expectations. "Was it the king? Or the imperial rule? The army? Or the land? Or the resources?" **"Perhaps all of it?" **"Or was the mistake made in seeking these things from the very start? And then I noticed..." He glanced meaningfully at his friend. "Hinahoho taught me this right? That Imuchakk is a federation..." "When their principles differ, even people in the same tribe have conflicts. The tribes of Imuchakk chose peace through maintaining self-governance and nonaggression pacts. Rather than focusing on finding faults, they admit and recognise both the good and bad in each other, and come to respect it." He took a deep breath, his eyes searching all of them one by one. "Isn't that **more important?" **

He held his arms out cajolingly, like he was placating wild animals. That wasn't far off. "It's not wrong to think about changing a country, but not entirely correct either." A sure flutter radiance was starting to gather from around him, an immediately perceptible aura that made it refreshing just standing in the teen's presence. It was almost palpable to the touch, with the force of his words... "The important thing is," Sinbad clarified, "For every person and country in this world** to acknowledge each other**."

He went on, but Kara was no longer listening. For one thing, listening was a very, very dangerous occupation to sink into. Listening to Sinbad was like being drawn into a spider's web with no way out. It was to believe in him, to start to feel for him, to start to sympathise with him. More importantly, to believe in him was to allow him to dictate what is reality and what is illusion. He just had that sort of appeal, that sort of strength of character, that it was dangerous just being in his mere presence. So quite deliberately did not listen to prevent that, but expected that for her, it was already too late. She tended to go for those with indolent charisma. That was her Milacka like, after all. But even that woman hadn't brought such force of reaction from her. Perhaps, because Milacka was older, and didn't fully believe in her own spiel. Sinbad did, though, with the charitable passion of the youth, which made it even more tempting.

Meanwhile, Drakon managed to snap out of it, and began to dismantle Sinbad's argument. Even then, though, he wanted to believe in Sinbad's argument, so it came over as very unconvincing. So Sinbad easily debunked him, and Kara caught the tail end of the conversation. "...I will realize this dream **absolutely." **And she could see, from how everyone else in the chamber was reacting, that he'd successfully ensnared them as well. She could practically read their thoughts about Sinbad. _If it's this man I can trust him. If it's him, he can realize it all. Somehow, I firmly believe. If it's this man, I want to follow him! _She knew because this is how she'd felt towards Milacka, all those years ago. Dammit, it was unfair. He was using his strength of presence to practically crush them into submission!

And Sinbad noticed everyone's reaction with a smug curve of his lips, propping his fists at either side of him with his shoulders squared. "So** everyone**," he drawled, "Become my ally." It was a command more than an offer. It was once again - predictably - Drakon who managed to get a hold of himself the first and protest against the utter insanity that was Sinbad. _Seriously. How could such a person exist!? _It was seriously getting of Kara's nerves. Still though - by everyone, did he mean her, even? That was something to consider, even if her definite loyalty belonged to Milacka and Milacka alone.

Then Sinbad began to extol everyone's virtues - as to why he wished them as his allies - and Kara had to pay close attention. "For example, I need someone who's good at commerce, someone who excels in diplomacy, specialists in intelligence operations, as well as..." he trailed off at the nervous look Drakon was wearing, hand tightly grasping the hilt of his sword. And he smiled widely just for him. "Fellows who would travel the world with me." _Gah! His absolute glitter! The light he evoked! It _**_burned! _** And then he continued to espouse on himself and what he needed to change the world. _Seriously - will this guy's speeches never end?_ Kara started to play with the tassels of her shoulder wrappings. Apparently he still lacked a lot. Among the list was power, allies, a country, people and even himself. "**Everything!"** Sinbad asserted with a sweep of his hand.

The look thereafter would probably be burned in Kara's retina for whenever she thought it was a good thing to relapse in her loyalty to Milacka. That is because it was a look that promised a great possessive hunger for the 'everything' he spoke off. He wanted to possess everything, did he? Even that which did not wish to be possessed, even that which he had no right to have? Maybe Kara was over exaggerating that brief flicker that crossed quick silver eyes, but she wasn't so sure about it. In any case, it was none of her business, since she wasn't planning on joining Sinbad anyway. Besides, some penniless someone without even a country to his name wasn't a threat to Milacka anyway, right? Right.

She swallowed the lump that grew in her throat as Sinbad punched the air before him, the air around him naturally returning back to silly, harmless, childishness. "I'm serious!" that Sinbad said to the air, twinkling merrily, "Everyone! Become mine! Of course, that totally ruined the earlier adult impression he had been given of. Flat looks were the only suitable response, fixed upon a quickly growing sheepish Sinbad. Even the djinn joined in. Even Minifor did, and he was a cat. Yes. Sinbad was still just a child. He had potential, but that was all that it was. Potential.

In any case, the shorty assassin was the first to agree to Sinbad's proposal, on the condition that he may kill the other if he became boring. Next were the two other assassin's, also quick to follow.

Hinahoho and Drakon stayed mum. Funny, that those who knew Sinbad the best, were those that stubbornly refused the offer. Before Sinbad could once again address Kara - thank goodness - the two assassins drew his attention. She couldn't catch their question, but she could Sinbad's answer. He smiled, inspired. "Sure, it doesn't matter. We can build this country together." And the looks on their faces were so absolutely joyful that Kara wanted to hide herself in some dark corner. Of course, that changed, from one blink to the next, and the scene was painted forever a macabre red - as they gushed out the viscous liquid known as blood from every opening in their face.

A/N Review, if it's anything worth reviewing. Constructive criticism certainly wanted. Please tell me whether I should continue, and what the pairing should be (if any) and if anything seems strange (because you haven't read Sinbad no bouken) pm for more info.


	2. InterludeMilacka

Disclaimer; Sinbad no Bouken nor Magi is mine. Only our darling broken - and her 'saviour.'

Her mother had regretted the pregnancy.

Her mother had regretted the pregnancy. That was the first thing Milacka had been made aware of when she was at an age of self awareness. It was to acknowledge that her mother's harikiri was nothing more than an attempt to leave behind the creature she had birthed.

It was to acknowledge that her birth hadn't been blessed, or wanted. That it had been a mistake. That she had been a mistake from the very beginning. That she was nothing but a burden to those around her, who could not 'see' as she could.

There was the birth of a baby boy and the whole world trembled.

There was the arrival and subsequent exit of a Fanalis first visit to the world beyond.

There was the hollowed form of a mage who gave and gave and was given nothing back.

She could 'see' far too much. It scared them. She knew that. They only dealt with her because she could be useful for their leader, and subsequently the leader's son. This son was to be the destined king, it was often rumoured. He was worth everything that she was not, because he was human, and she was not. She knew that. She knew as much, but sometimes she thought of something different.

Of the birth of a baby boy and she knew hope. Of the hollowed out mage, and she knew of despair. Both of which were 'abnormal,' as was she...but they had been celebrated.

It was the hollowed mage who chose to give and give and give away. It was the hollow mage who felt the most satisfied with her lot in life. The baby boy was simply carnivorous. The baby boy was forever unsatisfied - fated to hunger for something he would not have - could not have. Or was it the other way round?

He would eat the world up, one of these days, if he wasn't careful.

She 'saw' things, but she could not pull assumptions out of thin air. She 'saw' things but she remained ignorant.  
And so she spun a web of delight for the boy-be-king, who would find his death at the hands of what his ignorance soiled. Was he a reflection of herself? She 'saw' things, but she knew nothing - nothing except the lessons history taught, but even those were opaque.

She 'saw' and she was told of the arrival of a saviour. A roaring cloud of vengeance in the form of a lean girl, who would fulfil her every wish, when the time was right. Kara, she sang, and knew of hope. Sinbad, she sang, and knew of only jealousy.

They were entwined, those two. Their strands were tangled and embedded so deeply within one another it was difficult to see where one began and the other ended. But the baby boy was in possession of so many strands already. So many were already completely a part of him.

She 'saw' a flash of ruby red - Fanalis - and then the gorgon eyes of an Imuchakk - the flash of a string - Ja'far - and forcibly closed her eyes, no matter how much it hurt. Was it really so selfish of Milacka that she wished to rip that strand from the other and forcibly wind it with her own? That was what people did, wasn't it?

She told this to the servant, and he agreed. This was what people did; and she wasn't in the wrong. Besides, Kara was meant to be her saviour. The fates told her so, didn't they?

Everyone lied. The servants, her mother, the child-be-king, his father, the maids. Everyone lied, but fate itself. That didn't lie, and it wouldn't start to lie just to spite her, would it? It couldn't. She had everything under control.

And so Milacka tested it out. She 'saw' a man fall and break an priceless vase and be hung for his insolence. And so she went about defying fate. It was easy to know what would happen on the crossroads of fate - the best road to take, the best direction to make - it was all there for her, for the picking. And she loved it; it was the only thing that she could rely on.

She 'saw' the man become rich as her efforts bore fruit, and joyfully, joyfully, waited until that moment. And it came, as he visited the king-be's father for some business deal involving slaves or the other.

Heh, wasn't that funny? He was a slave to fate, and others were slaves to him. So, if that were true, and since she was the master of fate, shouldn't he be her slave, too?

The vase broke. She had 'seen' it, and it had come to pass. Even-though she had made him rich, and the circumstances differed. He still broke the vase, and though he could pay it back, sentimentality had no value.

Wasn't that funny? He was hung and quartered, and all to her behest! The one that fate scorned, even as she brought it under her heel! Hahaha! Wasn't it funny? Wasn't it? Wasn't it? Ahahahah!

And in the dark a young adolescent girl sobbed her eyes out in the pillow - no mirror decorating the walls, no open doorway, no one to notice her pure visceral anguish at the death she had - deliberately - caused. Because it had all been fate's division, had it not? And that was what they were - all of them slaves. Slaves to fate, slaves to satisfaction, slaves to hunger. Slaves, and all equally worth nothing.

And if they were, well. Hope had always been a fragile thing. She'd rather not be left hanging by a single thread.

A/N Just so you know, not a lot is what it seems before you pay too much attention to this interlude as I wait for the next Sinbad chapters to come out. :P


End file.
